I'd really like to give my hair some lighter brown/blondish highlights, but I'd rather not pay the money for the salon. Is it a bad idea to do a home treatment? If anyone has done it with success, please share details!

I'd really like to give my hair some lighter brown/blondish highlights, but I'd rather not pay the money for the salon. Is it a bad idea to do a home treatment? If anyone has done it with success, please share details!

Originally Posted by kurliegrl922

I always do mine at home. Most places sell kits that will help prevent from getting them too light. Sally's has all kinds of bleach for highlighting, but this method is best left alone if you aren't absolutely sure how to use it. For first time, I would recommend going to a beauty supply store and investing in a cap and hook. If you can find a kit with a cap AND the color you want, then no need to buy another cap and hook. But most kits today come with wands or small brushes. I don't recommend using them if you don't have experience highlighting your own hair. You can get a regular highlighting cap, which produces smaller more natural looking highlights, or if you want a bolder look, they sell chunking caps, which accommodate pulling larger pieces through for chunkier highlights. It's nearly impossible to mess things up using a box kit, which has the proper amount of bleach and the proper amount and level of developer ready to mix so the results should be very close to the color stated in the box, and using a cap to help places the highlights exactly where you want them without getting any mix where you don't want them. Yes, I did say nearly impossible. Always do a strand test to see how much time is required for the amount of lightening you want. This is important, because texture and porosity will affect the timing for desired effect. Also, take your time when putting on the cap and choosing strands to pull through, it's easier to do this carefully than to take it off and re-do it. Have your parted the way you normally wear it. This is to make sure you know what highlights will show where once you are done and you have restyled your hair.
And remember to condition the crap out of hair after. Bleach is drying. I often choose to use my own DT instead of the condish that comes with the kits, then I apply a good amount of coconut oil overnight and co wash in the morning. The DT replaces moisture, the overnight oil pre-poo replaces natural oils.

Yes ive always done all my coloring at home! In fact i think ill be trying some highlights soon to give my hair some dimension!

I usually get all my stuff at sally beauty supply, they've got all the brushes, mixing bowls, and bleach! Basically all of the necessities. You simply buy the bleaching powder and mix it with either 30 or 40 developer and test it in a small spot to see how your hair reacts to it!

Another thing i will recommend is that the hair color you put on the newly bleached strand either be demi permanent or semi permanent. The reason i recommend this is so that your hair doesn't suffer any more unnecessary damage after being bleached!